YEAR ONE
IT’S BEEN A YEAR…
… since Nor’easter Digital was born, and what a year it has been. Before I go any further, I have to acknowledge how privileged and downright lucky I am to be able to write this post. With months of COVID-related shutdowns, layoffs, and unrest in many major cities like Boston, I can’t begin to express how grateful I am to the clients and partners that have allowed Nor’easter to flourish the way it has.
Nor’easter wasn’t intended to be a full-time endeavor. In fact when I went off on my own last May, it was meant to be a brief hiatus from agency life before my wedding in September. But as luck would have it, previous employers and new relationships presented a variety of opportunities from social media strategy, to web & app production, and even extended reality (XR). 12 months later and we’ve got two active partnerships with agencies in Boston, our first AR mobile app live in stores (with more content on the way!), and a swath of new business proposals in the works.
This first year has definitely been a learning experience, and I’d be lying if I said there weren’t days I considered finding a full-time job at an established agency. All things considered, I couldn’t have made a better choice in starting this business, and would recommend these tips to anyone looking to do the same:
SURROUND YOURSELF WITH SUPPORT
It’s impossible to do this alone. My biggest supporter by far is my wife, Maggie, who encouraged me from Day 1 and believed that I could pull this off. Quitting a stable job 3 months before a wedding isn’t the most pragmatic choice, but she understood that it was something I needed to do and gave it a ringing endorsement. Her support, the support of our families, and the support and encouragement from friends and partners not only convinced me that Nor’easter was a worthwhile pursuit, but motivated me to work as hard as I could to exceed expectations.
BE PERSISTENT
Many of my early projects came easily, either through agency connections or word of mouth recommendations. So when that tap ran dry, I had to turn to good old fashioned networking to begin building my own list of clients. Between events and referral organizations, cold calls/emails, and connecting on LinkedIn, “networking” can feel like an absolute slog - especially when it doesn’t yield results right away. But persistence has proven to be one of the greatest factors in Nor’easter’s continued growth. For one of my clients where I serve as their Digital Producer/Consultant, it took 9 months of conversations, meetings, and interviews before we officially began a partnership. Now we’re six months in, and are extending the partnership at least another 3! So if it ever feels like nothing is working, stay the course and give it time.
BITE OFF MORE THAN YOU CAN CHEW
Coming from a production background whose biggest responsibility is project logistics, I tend to play it safe. When Nor’easter first began, I was very careful about the number of projects I took on at once, and the size and scale of those projects. Bit by bit however, I’ve tried to expand my capabilities and my calendar to accommodate as much new business as possible. This eventually led to me finding the limit of what I can personally take ownership of - biting off more than I could chew. While March and April yielded quite a few 12+ hour days, I see it as a positive because it helped me find out where my bandwidth ends. In a job market where work/life balance has been impacted tremendously by COVID-related WFH policies, understanding your limits and what you personally need to stay healthy and happy is a priceless commodity. If takes some late nights to sort that out, so be it.
While challenging at times, the experience of establishing and growing a business has been one of the most educating and rewarding of my career. I’m so proud of what Nor’easter has become, and can’t wait to see what’s in store for Year 2.
- Kevin Mead